Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension

Year 6 ScienceLiving Things and Their Habitats6 pages

About this worksheet

The Unseen Giants of Planet Earth is the four-paragraph passage at the centre of this Year 6 reading comprehension. It covers bacteria, viruses and fungi, yeast in bread, bacteria in yoghurt and cheese, and decomposers. It ends with Alexander Fleming finding Penicillium mould in 1928. Eleven questions follow in three parts: Retrieve, Vocabulary and Inference, and Evaluate and Respond. They include a true or false table with evidence and a debate on wiping out all micro-organisms. Two pages of answers include a marking guide for that last question. The sheet links to the England National Curriculum unit Living things and their habitats.

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Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension: Living Things and Their Habitats - page 1

Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension: Living Things and Their Habitats - page 2

Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension: Living Things and Their Habitats - page 3

Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension: Living Things and Their Habitats - page 4

Micro-organisms Reading Comprehension: Living Things and Their Habitats - page 5

Curriculum objectives covered

Living things and their habitats

“Describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants and animals”

Question 1 asks for bacteria, viruses and fungi. Question 4a tests the idea that fungi include large mushrooms as well as microscopic yeast.

What's inside this worksheet

The Invisible World of Micro-organisms

Pupils read the passage, from the microscopic hitchhikers on their skin to the discovery of penicillin.

Part 1: Retrieve

Pupils name the three groups of micro-organisms, pick the gas yeast releases from four options and name two foods made with bacteria. A table asks them to mark three statements true or false with evidence, one of them about Fleming's holiday.

Part 2: Vocabulary & Inference

Pupils find the word pathogens, choose a meaning for diligent and explain why bakers use warm water and sugar. Two more questions ask about the phrase microscopic hitchhikers and about cooking meat thoroughly.

Part 3: Evaluate & Respond

Pupils explain why tiny microbes are called giants. They then agree or disagree that the world would be safer without micro-organisms, using two pieces of evidence.

Answers

All 11 answers, including the completed true or false table and guidance on crediting either side of the question 11 debate.

How teachers use it

Bread in a bag

Seal yeast, warm water and sugar in one bag and yeast with cold water in another. Pupils compare the bubbles before they answer question 7.

Split the class

For question 11, one side argues from chickenpox and food poisoning, the other from decomposers and penicillin. Pupils then write their own view.

Reading slot

Questions 5, 6 and 8 are vocabulary and inference tasks on pathogens, diligent and hitchhikers, so the sheet also fits a guided reading session.

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